K-pop supergroup BTS to end four-year hiatus with massive global tour

BTS, the K-pop boy band that helped supercharge the genre’s global ascent, released dates Tuesday for a world tour after a roughly four-year hiatus.

The seven-member group, South Korea’s best-selling music act of all time according to Guinness World Records, is expected to tour for 11 months starting in April across five continents. The 79-show tour will kick off in South Korea before heading to Japan and other parts of Asia, the United States, Mexico, Europe, Latin America and Australia. Tour dates for the Middle East will be announced later.

The group went on hiatus in June 2022, on the ninth anniversary of its debut.

Its members had said they were taking a break to focus on solo projects, which were eagerly received by the millions of fans who call themselves the “BTS Army.” All seven members also took the time to complete their South Korean military service, which is compulsory for able-bodied men in a certain age range, barring exemptions.

In 2018, Hyundai Research Institute estimated that the band contributed more than $3.6 billion to the South Korean economy each year – the equivalent of 26 midsize companies in the country, according to local media reports. That outsize contribution spurred debate over whether they should be excused from military service, especially as many members neared the deadline to enlist just as the band was reaching new heights globally.

Enticed by the dollar signs and responding to calls from fans to exempt them from military service, the South Korean government even considered commissioning a poll to gauge public sentiment on the idea of an exemption, which sparked debate over which celebrities were worthy of exemptions.

Now, with an album coming out March 20 and all seven members back together, “2026 is poised to be the year of BTS,” its label, Hybe Corporation, said in a news release. The label certainly set expectations high, saying the band had set the stage for “the comeback of the decade” and “a defining moment in pop culture.”

Billboard has estimated that the group will generate more than $1 billion in revenue from the new album, along with the accompanying tour and merchandise.

BTS, also known as Bangtan Sonyeondan, debuted in 2013 and started to cross over into the U.S. in the mid-to-late 2010s. The group became the first K-pop act to receive a Grammy nomination – it now has five – and was included on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in 2019.

Checking to see whether shows are scheduled for one’s nearest city appears to be a trend in social media reaction videos, with fans from all over the world posting videos of themselves screaming, crying, jumping and falling down with excitement over the tour announcement.

“I don’t care, I’m going to fly,” said one user in a TikTok video who appeared to be hoping for a concert in Amsterdam. Some have playfully expressed angst over too few concerts being scheduled in their city, while others rejoiced after hearing that there would be shows in the Middle East.